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OS 849 
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Copy 1 



Does Japan Menace 
the United States? 

By CHUGO OHIRA 




Published by 

Japanese-American Commercial Weekly 

414$Eighth Avenue, New York 






■ 



PUBLISHER'S NOTE. 

In this pamphlet Mr. Chugo Ohira pre- 
sents Japan's side of the question — "Is 
Japan's place in the sun a menace to the 
United States?" — which has been brought 
up by Mr. George Bronson Rea, Editor of 
the Far Eastern Review, who has taken the 
trouble of distributing a pamphlet in which 
he makes a series of make-up and very 
plausible charges against Japan and pic- 
tures Japan as insidiously harboring a 
hostile design on this country. 

We are aware of the monstrous machin- 
ery of some sort in motion in the United 
States to-day, whose interest it is to force 
her to go to war with Japan. The spokes- 
men of that machinery are taking advan- 
tage of the ignorance of the majority of 
N the American people about Japan and the 
Far East and are busy in spreading all sorts 
of false and fabricated stories. Fair, just, 
and impartial judgment can never be 
formed upon what they say or write. 

We publish Mr. Ohira's article in the 
hope of furnishing the Americans with 
some bases for their unbiassed and inde- 
pendent judgment on this serious problem. 
JAPANESE - AMERICAN 
COMMERCIAL WEEKLY 

New York City, N. Y. 
April 1916. 



>g$ Trros''^ 



Does Japan Menace 

The United States? 



Showing Up Mr. George Bronson Rea's 

Tricks of Writing, Mr. C. Ohira 

Combats Mr. Rea's Invidious 

Charges Against the Japanese. 



NO thoughtful observer would fail to see that the 
two great progressive nations on either side of 
the Pacific are face to face with possibly the 
greatest question of the twentieth century — the mutual 
approach of the East and West which is known on the 
one side as "Yellow Peril," on the other as "Race Preju- 
dice" combined with a fear of an "American Peril" in 
the Far East — the solution of which depends upon either 
mutual concessions based on mutual sympathy and 
respect or a possible clash. The old way would be to 
foster such differences, and the new way must be to try 
to understand them. From this point of view, we who 
have at heart the peace and welfare of the two coun- 
tries might be permitted to criticise Mr. Rea who is 
understood to have furnished to the members of Con- 
gress a pamphlet entitled, "Japan's Place in the Sun — 
The Menace to America," which was sometime ago pub- 
lished by the Public Ledger. 

At first glance the series of articles would take readers 
by surprise because of the apparent anti-American feel- 
ing among the Japanese. But when his quotations, which 
he says he has compiled from authoritative Japanese 
sources, are critically analyzed Mr. Rea's articles not only 
fail to impress careful readers with what he would have 
them believe, but on the contrary they tend very strongly 
to convey the opposite impression, except in two points : 
one is that the Japanese do not think they have received 
fair treatment in California ; the other, that America's 



(4) 



Far Eastern policy is somewhat apprehended by the Jap- 
anese. 

In short, his articles are not only misleading but they 
are so insinuatingly presented to the American public 
that Mr. Rea cannot purge himself from purposely 
attempting to create a bad feeling between the two coun- 
tries. 

For the purpose of enlightening the American public, 
therefore, I shall endeavor to expose Mr. Rea's way of 
writing and show clearly how baseless are his conten- 
tions and charges against the Japanese. In other words, 
the purpose of this article is, by exposing points where 
he shuts his eyes, to lay the facts quoted by him and 
on which his contentions and charges against the Jap- 
anese are based before the American public in their true 
light so that they might have a fair chance to pass over 
their judgment on Japan's attitude toward America. 

1. Mr. Rea says to the effect that Count Okuma's 
warning given to the Japanese public when the National 
Defence Board was organized in 1914 — "To know one's 
enemy and to know one's self is a strategical maxim that 
should always be acted upon" — is specifically against the 
United States. 

In quoting the September, 1914 number of the Japan 
Magazine to verify his contention, Mr. Rea omits the 

"Japan has no real enemy in the West. Her nearest 
possible enemies are those oriental nations who retard 
the march of modern progress and invite western aggres- 
sion. For this reason the greatest danger lies at Japan's 
door in China. Japan must keep her defenses up to a 
standard that will enable her to become arbiter in Chi- 
nese affairs so as to prevent western aggression in that 
country." 

Suppose that the editorial comment of the Japan Maga- 
zine on Count Okuma's remark should be construed as 
specifically directed against the U. S. How does Mr. 
Rea reconcile this construction with the sentiment 
following : 



(5) 



expressed in the May, 1915 number of the same maga- 
zine ? The following is excerpted from that editorial : 

"At heart the American is pro-Japanese. * * * 
They favour a gradual and not a sudden convulsive 
mixing of the East and the West. * * * They do 
not mind a flavour, but they object to adulteration. It 
may safely be said that these men of foresight and sanity 
represent the best class of Americans : and what is more, 
the best class of Japanese are in agreement with them. 
The restrictions to immigration agreed to by the Japan- 
ese Government are in accord with this enlightened 
policy. What we have to bear in mind is that the danger 
sought to be avoided is not peculiar to Japanese immi- 
gration. Were a hundred thousand American farmers 
to arrive in any province of Japan, say Kyushu or Hok- 
kaido, and occupy large districts of agricultural land to 
the displacement of Japanese settlers, the commotion in 
Japan would not be less but greater than that now going 
on in California. It is the strength of the current, and 
not the nature of it, or the colour, that frightens the 
American. What is natural and inevitable cannot be 
helped; and wise and prudent people will make the best 
of it. * * *" 

Does Mr. Rea believe that the Japan Magazine regards 
Count Okuma as not belonging to the best class of Jap- 
anese ? 

2. Mr. Rea says to the effect that his contentions are 
all based on quotations from men like Count Okuma 
and Dr. Iyenaga and publications such as the Japan 
Magazine, the Asahi, the Mainichi, etc. 

When he quotes prominent Japanese and respectable 
papers the quotations either are not suggestive of enmity 
toward America or are presented in an insinuating way. 
Otherwise he quotes from sensational papers such as the 
Yorodzu, the Yamato, the Third Empire, etc., except in 
two instances. 

3. Mr. Rea says, "It is also well to bear in mind 
the significant fact that even in times of peace a press 
censorship obtains in Japan is far more strictly enforced 
even than the war censorship in Germany or the nations 
allied against the central powers." 



(6) 



While comparing the press censorship of Japan in 
times of peace with that of Europe in time of war, his 
two quoted passages relate to censorship in time of war. 
It is true that the war censorship was promulgated in 
1914 when Japan declared war on Germany. On account 
of opposition from many Japanese papers it has been 
nullified by the issue of a memorandum from the Foreign 
Office to the papers which filed protest that the war 
censorship would not be enforced. It was about at the 
beginning of the Sino-Japanese negotiations that had 
brought the violent protests from the papers due to the 
fact that the Japanese papers were kept in ignorance of 
the nature of Japan's demands on China. And in real- 
ity, Japanese press censorship in times of peace is not 
so strict as it is generally understood, and the only 
restrictions imposed on the freedom of the press now 
relate to the divulgence of state and military secrets in 
time of contingencies. Just think of the free reference 
to any power as fully demonstrated in the recent sensa- 
tion, "J a P an,s Message to England." 

4. Mr. Rea says, "Japanese and American spokes- 
men for Japan in this country deprecate any reference to 
war between Japan and the U. S." 

So far as known, nobody deprecates the reference to 
war between the two countries. What they all depre- 
cate is reference to Japan's offensive war against the 
United States. 

5. Mr. Rea says, "Japanese newspapers openly 
expressed the opinion that the Russo-Japanese Alliance 
was aimed directly against America." 

He has not mentioned a paper which expressed the 
opinion to this effect; therefore I am unable to discover 
which papers expressed this opinion. One thing I 
remember, however, is that the New York World pub- 
lished the Associated Press correspondence as relating 
to the public opinion on the rumored Alliance, under the 
headline, "Be Ally with Russia, and be Friendly with 
America." Not only that, the Kokumin, the very, and 



(7) 



only, paper Mr. Rea quoted in this connection, said : 

"While nothing should be done to weaken the Alli- 
ance with Britain, it would no doubt be advisable for 
Japan to have a similar compact with Russia, as the 
present relationship between the two countries is practi- 
cally the same as that of allies. As the two countries 
have Germany as their common enemy, they must hold 
together after the war, which may be difficult owing to 
pro-German influence in Russia and pro-Russian influ- 
ence in Germany. War sometimes draws belligerents 
closer together afterwards ; and if Japan does not stand 
close to Russia the place may be taken by Germany, so 
that Russo-Japanese friendship should be cultivated to 
the utmost." (Translation from the Japan Magazine.) 

Did Mr. Rea take Germany for the United States ? 

6. Mr. Rea says, "The Japanese newspapers, despite 
the operation of this censorship, continually misrepre- 
sent American acts and American thoughts." And he 
quotes from the Yorodzu, the Yamato, and Manchuria 
Daily News. 

Not only are the matters referred to entirely too 
ridiculous to be credible, but the Yorodzu and the Yam- 
ato are the recognized sensation-loving papers, the latter 
having recently published "Japan's Message to England" 
which took the world by surprise; the Manchuria Daily 
News is a paper written in English and its circulation is 
mainly among foreigners. 

The fact that even with his eagle eye he has failed to 
find any misrepresentation of importance would, I believe, 
make thoughtful readers understand that there is little 
misrepresentation in the Japanese papers. Why do I 
dare say that mischief-makers have failled to successfully 
play their game in Japan? The following excerpt from 
the Japan Advertiser will speak for itself: 

"It is difficult to clip the wings of a canard, once it 
has taken flight. Part 24 of the Times' 'History of the 
War,' dealing with the operations at Tsingtau, contains a 
statement to which, in the interests of accuracy, it is 
desirable to call attention. Published elsewhere the mat- 
ter would scarcely be worth notice, but it would be a 
pity if an incident of almost grotesque triviality should 



(8) 



continue to masquerade as evidence with the cachet of 
the first newspaper of the world." 

After reproducing the Times' statement the Editor 
continues : 

"The fact at the bottom of this is known to everybody 
in Tokio. Last October a temporarily stranded American 
journalist supplied to the sensation-loving Yorodzu an 
account of America's supposed naval preparations against 
this country, obtained in an alleged interview with an 
imaginary paymaster of the United States Navy. The 
American Navy list showed that no such officer existed, 
and the interview was almost at once convicted of being 
a mere sensational fake published by a newspaper whose 
triviality and credulity have long since impaired its 
power to influence intelligent public opinion. The Amer- 
ican journalist in question, if he were to be hyphenated 
at all, would have to be described as a British-American. 
He bears an English name and his avowed sympathies 
are pro-Ally. His own account of the matter is that 
he was deceived. It is pretty certain nobody else was. 
Official Japan took the view that the article was unworthy 
of notice and no proceedings were taken against the 
newspaper or the writer. The incident was seen here in 
its true proportions and it is a pity that it was ever 
magnified into the basis of a charge for which, so far 
as we are aware, no more solid evidence has been pro- 
duced. The German press campaign which has been so 
conspicuous in China never had a chance in Japan, for 
its mouthpieces here were muzzled at the time Japan 
entered the war, and none of its propaganda has seen 
the light since except as matter for an occasional expose 
in the foreign press. The appearance of so paltry an 
affair in the Times' History is possibly explained by the 
facts that the chapter dealing with Tsingtau was com- 
piled in London, and that the Yorodzu incident received 
an importance far beyond its merits by being cabled 
broadcast at the time. Fortunately the Times' 'History 
of the War' is not a definite record, and the second edi- 
tion, when it appears will no doubt place the incident in 
its proper perspective — where it will be invisible." 

(As to the Hochi article see No. 16.) 

7. Mr. Rea says "at the time Japan declared war 
against Germany the Japanese press reeked with sug- 
gestion that America might intervene on behalf of Ger- 
many." 



(9) 



A quotation from the Nichi-Nichi alone seems to me 
not enough to warrant such a charge against the Jap- 
anese. If the paper made the suggestion quoted by Mr. 
Rea without real knowledge of truth, I do not hesitate to 
brand that paper as misrepresenting the Americans. 
However, the Nichi-Nichi's attitute toward the United 
States would seem to be quite fair judging from its edi- 
torial of which the following is an excerpt : 

"Until the West becomes acquainted with the real 
beauty of Japanese civilization it will not be likely to 
feel a proper interest in good relations with this country 
(Japan). This should be the work of scholars and re- 
ligious teachers on both sides of the Pacific." (Transla- 
tion from Japan Magazine, April, 1915.) 

Other quotations in his second article deal only with 
the Japanese apprehension of the American Far Eastern 
policy. Such discussions are common in any country of 
the world, even when no enmity is entertained by either 
party. 

8. Mr. Rea says to the effect that Japan proposes to 
enforce the Doctrine of "Nippon uber alles," and seems 
to base his contention on the remark of Mr. Tokutomi, 
Editor of the Kokumin that "after all, the average Jap- 
anese transcends every other people in respect of ability 
and talent" — since Count Okuma's remark contains noth- 
ing like it. 

The Kokumin said : 

"It is deprecatory for Japanese subjects to emigrate 
to foreign countries and change their nationality by nat- 
uralization. Japan is one of the rising nations of the 
world, and it is the height of absurdity that Japan should 
send out many able youths as emigrants to foreign lands. 
After all, the average Japanese transcends every other 
people of decadent nations, in respect of ability and 
talent." 

Does it look like "Nippon uber alles"? Why did he 
omit the words "of decadent nations"? 

9. Mr. Rea says "Japan has an enormous Navy." 
What is necessary to prove Japan's naval strength for 



(10) 



aggressive purposes concerning the American-Japanese 
relations is to show her greater strength than that of 
the United States, but he says no a word about that. 

10. Mr. Rea says to the effect that the Japanese Gov- 
ernment has perfect control over all papers, etc., and the 
American public has been kept in ignorance: that when 
smuggled out by a private carrier, the East and West 
News Bureau can be depended on to deny the truth. 

If Japan has control over all the news agencies and 
newspapers in Japan, and keeps the world in ignorance, 
how did Mr. Rea come to know all about the so-called 
anti-American propaganda, Why does Japan allow so 
many papers and magazines edited in foreign languages, 
which enable Mr. Rea to get all his information ? When 
and on what subject did our Bureau deny the truth? 

(See No. 23.) 

Instead of keeping the world in ignorance the fact 
that Mr. Rea was able to collect the alleged anti-Ameri- 
can facts establishes the opposite impression — that Japan 
is doing her utmost to acquaint the world with her aims 
and progress. Hence, the article by Dr. J. Ingram Bryan, 
of the Imperial Naval College in Tokio and correspond- 
ent of the N.Y. Evening Post, in the Japan Magazine 
should call, all the more, attention of the American pub- 
lic: 

"The paramount problem of the East is how best to 
promote a more mutual approach of East and West. It 
is not too much to say that in the estimation of every 
thoughtful mind in the Orient to-day this is the supreme 
international question. The problem was set on foot by 
the Occident, but the Orient is now left to deal with it 
alone and try to push it to a satisfactory solution. After 
stirring the great half of mankind of the lethargy and 
seclusion of ages, the masters of the world have shrunk 
in despair and cowardice from the duty of appeasing 
the commotion thus created. The hands extending for 
sympathy and the voices that cry aloud for intercourse 
are now only on the eastern horizon. The Orient has 
long evinced a sincere desire for closer communion with 
western ways and western civilization generally. On 



(11) 



every side is found to-day among eastern people a frank 
admission that the Orient has learned, and has still to 
learn, much from the West, and already owes to that 
half of the earth an endless debt of gratitude. And the 
West, too, concedes, if in a half-hearted way, that it is 
indebted to the East for much, and has yet something to 
learn from oriental life and thought. But in spite of 
these admissions, the difficulty has been that while the 
East has been putting its theory into practice, the West 
has for the most part been content to treat its indebted- 
ness to, and its dependence upon the East as a mere 
theory to be neglected and relegated to the region of the 
impracticable. Among those who have sincerely labored 
to promote a closer mutual approach between East and 
West, Japan stands out as unapproached by any other 
nation." 

11. Mr. Rea says "No explicit information has been 
advanced why it is necessary for Japan to maintain an 
enormous army." 

What does Mr. Rea mean by saying "explicit infor- 
mation"? The reason for army extension is fully set 
forth in the Japan Year Book which is quoted by Mr. 
Rea as an official book. Why did he overlook it? 

1. Russia has been steadily supplementing, up to the 
time of the present European War, her military strength 
in the Far East, 25 Divisions on peace standing being 
stationed in the various districts east of Baikal. In time 
of emergency a reserve force almost equal in strength to 
the field force may be mobilized, while Japan has only 
21 Divisions, including the recently increased two Divi- 
sions which are to be stationed in Korea, in peace stand- 
ing. 

2. Russia has completed the double track of the Si- 
berian Railway. The Amur Railway also is now com- 
pleted. Therefore she is in possession of four railroads 
which can be operated like clockwork — the Siberian 
trunk line, Eastern Chinese line, Amur line and Usuri 
line, with the addition of another line between Aigun and 
Tsitsihar, the concession of which was obtained recently 
from Peking and which connects the Amur with the 
Eastern Chinese line, making the transportation facili- 
ties as much as three times greater than they were at the 
time of the Russo-Japanese War. 

3. The future of China is extremely precarious and 



(12) 



Japan, to give full weight to her voice on the occasion 
of emergency, must have sufficient military backing. 

12. Mr. Rea says "The danger is that before the peo- 
ple of Japan have summoned up resolution to insist on 
being given an effective voice in deciding the policy of 
the country (Japan), the militarist party will have 
involved it in financial difficulties from which extrica- 
tion will be impossible, or will have plunged it into fur- 
ther martial adventures that will be just as disastrous 
for the country, whether they be attended by success or 
failure." 

If Japan continued the so-called militaristic policy, the 
one result would, according to Mr. Rea, be her national 
bankruptcy. Does any one believe that a country on 
the verge of bankruptcy can be a menace to the United 
States? The second result would be disaster to Japan, 
whether her martial adventures be attended by success 
or failure. Is it not then Japan who shall pay for her 
militarism, instead of China or the United States ? Why 
does Mr. Rea bring in China so often while discussing 
American-Japanese relations ? 

13. Mr. Rea says to the effect that Japan has no 
place for her emigrants in the Far East. 

The facts quoted by Mr. Rea and from which his con- 
tentions are deducted seem, to my mind, to give quite the 
reverse impression since they all show that heretofore 
Japan has neglected to encourage her immigrants in the 
Far East, and it is only recently that Japan has begun 
to encourage immigration at all. 

A. Mr. Rea says, "They will not emigrate to For- 
mosa. It is too hot there." 

Mr. Rea bases this contention on Count Itagaki's opin- 
ion expressed in the Japan Financial and Economical 
Monthly for August, 1914, which in part reads as fol- 
lows: 

"The total Japanese population of Formosa is only 
120,000, whereas the natives number 3,000,000. It will 
require at least a million Japanese in Formosa to thor- 



(13) 



oughly Japanize the natives in as little time as possible. 
The Formosan authorities have started the encourage- 
ment of Japanese immigration as an official enterprise." 

It may be hot over there, but it is a fact that about 
120,000 Japanese immigrants are finding the climate 
agreeable to them. Has Mr. Rea any data to prove that 
the Japanese immigrants in Formosa are physically dif- 
ferent from other Japanese ? Although it must be admit- 
ted that the Formosan authorities have been slow in 
encouraging immigration, they are now earnestly endeav- 
ouring to get the people to Formosa. 

B. Mr. Rea says, "They do not go to the Hokkaido. 
It is too cold there." 

In support of his statement Mr. Rea quotes from the 
Far East, a widely read weekly publication of Tokio, as 
follows : 

"The Far East, commenting on the proposed grant of 
several million yen from the Government for the devel- 
opment of Hokkaido, says, This will be welcome news 
to the agricultural and industrial interests of the north- 
ern Island. Thousands of immigrants from the main 
land have bitterly repented the day when they left their 
native provinces to settle in the north. And yet with a 
good administration the island should become one of the 
most flourishing of Japan's territories. The possibilities 
depend largely upon good government for prosperity.' " 

From this article anyone but Mr. Rea would see that 
it is not the climate, — though no doubt it affects the 
immigrants form the southern part of Japan — but the 
lack of adequate encouragement that retarded the pro- 
gress of Hokkaido. And remember that this article was 
published in July of last year. 

Mr. Rea further quotes from the Monthly Bulletin of 
Economic and Social Intelligence: 

"This part is very thinly populated and the land is 
either not cultivated or cultivated in a very primitive 
manner. During 1912 the immigration into Hokkaido 
was 61,156 as against 13,963 emigrants — a net increase 
of 47,193. It will be seen that the number of people who 
leave Hokkaido each year to return to Japan proper is 



(14) 



still very considerable. This is due to many causes, not 
the least important of which is the comparative severity 
of the climate to which the Japanese from the southern 
provinces cannot always adapt themselves." 

During 1912 the net increase of Japanese immigration 
into Hokkaido was 47,193. Quite a big increase ! when 
one takes into consideration the fact that the Japanese 
are not an immigrating nation. It may be that a con- 
siderable number of people return to their native prov- 
inces because it is too cold there, but remember that 
Japan is a country stretching from north to south, and 
the people from the main island can all adapt them- 
selves to the climate with little suffering. Should ade- 
quate provision be made it would become adaptable for 
all Japanese. As it is, more than 1,750,000 Japanese have 
already settled there, and the number is every year on 
the increase. 

C. Mr. Rea says "They do not go to Korea in great 
numbers. The country is too poor." 

He supports his contention with an article in the 
Monthly Bulletin of Economic and Social Intelligence, 
which is as follows: 

" 'Land is cultivated only partially or imperfectly. The 
population is sparse. Colonization is limited almost ex- 
clusively to reclamation work without any special at- 
tempt to create small or medium sized farms. The Gov- 
ernment is encouraging emigration.' Mr. Ishizaki of the 
Osaka Shosen Kaisha says that 'wide tracts of land ex- 
cellent for pastoral use lie neglected in Korea/ " 

By what logic did Mr. Rea come to the conclusion from 
this article that the Japanese do not go to Korea in great 
numbers since the country is too poor. Remember that 
the Japanese emigrants into Korea number about 300,- 
000, nearly equaling the total number of her whole emi- 
grants to foreign countries, which is about 350,000, and 
this in a space of several years. Still the population is 
sparse, and the land is cultivated only partially. So 
Korea will be able to receive thousands of Japanese emi- 
grants for years to come. Isn't it so? In fact, Korea 



(15) 



is very rich in natural resources ; her production of rice 
is yearly on the increase and will meet the demands of 
Japan proper for many years to come ; there are mineral 
products all over the land which have not yet been 
exploited; being a peninsula, the fishing prospects are 
inexhaustible. 

D. Mr. Rea says, "They (Japanese) cannot go to 
Manchuria and settle and compete with the Chinese." 

It is true that the Japanese laborers cannot compete 
with Chinese coolies. That is the very reason why- 
Japan obtained from China the right to own land in 
Manchuria at the cost of renouncing her privilege of 
extraterritoriality, and some concessions for industrial 
exploitation. The two statements, one from the Japan 
Mail and the other from the Yamato, on which his con- 
tention is based, were made in August of 1914 — some 
time before the Chino-Japanese negotiations began. It 
seems that Mr. Rea is ready to overlook anything that 
cannot be "played up." Furthermore, Mr. Rea makes 
this quotation : 

"The question I now will expound is, will it become 
an equally promising colony for our people as Formosa 
or Manchuria? To be frank, whatever data I have col- 
lected and studied disheartens me, as I am overwhelm- 
ingly led to conclude in the negative." 

This is a comment made by Mr. Shirani as to the pos- 
sibilities for Japanese laborers in Tsingtau, (Shang- 
tung) the home of Chinese coolies. 

Mr. Rea's quotations contradict each other. Which 
does he believe — that Manchuria is promising to Jap- 
anese, or that it is unpromising? 

It might well be added here that Japan's colonization 
policy is to better the conditions first in the colonizing 
territories and avoid the possible commotion among 
natives accruing from the influx of Japanese laborers. 

14. Mr. Rea says to the effect that the Japanese are 
not assimilable, wherein is, therefore, embraced the 
problem of the races, the menace to western civilization. 



(16) 



In no country can one expect to see the sameness of 
opinions on any subject of importance. Diverging opin- 
ions are often found even concerning a plain fact. As 
to the assimilability of the Japanese, Count Okuma in his 
appeal to the American public published by the New 
York Sun, of December 4, 1915, said in part : 

"It is quite natural for the Japanese to tend to form 
isolated groups when they find no warm friendship out- 
side of their own narrow circle. ... If the Americans 
once have the generosity to remove the barriers set 
against the Japanese they will soon find a great number 
of perfectly Americanized Japanese on their own soil. I 
wish the Americans would in future open the way for 
the Japanese to assimilate instead of charging them 
with 'insolent isolation/" 

So it is not only Americans who believe in the assimila- 
bility of the Japanese, as has been claimed by Mr. Rea. 
It may be that the Japanese are not so assimilable as are 
Europeans, but in Mr. Rea's quotations I find such pas- 
sages : 

"The Japanese cannot expand in America without be- 
coming naturalized, and when we come to this we are 
confronted with the problems of our family system, and 
our system of education becomes a barrier." ^The sole 
business of the Japanese in Hawaii is simply to send 
their earnings to Japan. Add to this the narrow minded 
insular education, and there is good reason why the 
Japanese tend to be expelled from foreign countries." 

This is what the leaders in thought are telling their 
countrymen. All these utterances are a sign of awaken- 
ing from their error, that is to say, if they want to stick 
to their traditional ways they should not emigrate; if 
they want to emigrate they should depart from their old 
ways. This must be welcome news to the Americans 
who insist upon Japanese exclusion from the ground that 
the Japanese are not assimilable, since the new educa- 
tion might bring a change in their heredity, making 
them ready enough to assimilate. What is his object in 
stirring up race hatred by making use of such utter- 
ances ? 



(17) 



While signs of awakening are not lacking in Japan, 
the Japanese in America have of late been demonstrat- 
ing the fact that they are not so unassimilable as is gen- 
erally understood by the world : Two instances were 
recently reported in the press, one from Hawaii and the 
other from Canada, as follows : 

*« "On Dec. 20, 1915, Canadian Japanese held a mass 
meeting and made a proposal to the Canadian Minister 
of Militia to organize a regiment for service in Europe." 

From Honolulu came a report of the work of the 
American- Japanese Citizens' Association there, contain- 
ing this advice: 

"If trouble should come with Japan you must re- 
member that you are the sons of the President, not of 
the Emperor. Aim to work for the best examples of 
citizenship, and then aim to work for peace." 

From time to time prominent Japanese Christians have 
been dispatched to the United States on special missions, 
making lectures in every place where the Japanese are 
residing on the Coast. The lecturers have been urging 
their countrymen to adapt themselves to the American 
ways in every respect. Not only that, a recent dispatch 
from Tokio reads: 

"The Government has introduced in the Diet an 
amendment to the nationality law, permitting the ex- 
patriation of Japanese born in foreign countries and 
**»li|fcilating that such expatriation involves the loss of 
Japanese nationality." 

A second dispatch states that the amendment has been 
passed by both houses of the Diet. To Mr. Rea do 
these facts look like a Japanese menace? What would 
he say about Germany's dual nationality law which went 
into effect in January, 1914? 

When all is said and considered, therefore, the Ameri- 
cans should rather sympathize with the Japanese awaken- 
ing and in turn might go a step further toward solving 
the pending question between the two countries. 

15. Mr. Rea seems to be trying to insinuate to his 



(18) 



readers that Mr. Kazan Kayahara had in mind chal- 
lenging the Monroe Doctrine, when he quotes the fol- 
lowing from the Third Empire : 

"The population has now reached the explosive point, 
and Japan must adopt by all means some method to 
decrease it ; now that we are at the parting of the ways, 
is our Foreign Office right in keeping silent? We want 
to emigrate to South and North America and the British 
colonies, first by peaceful means, if possible, and second 
by force of the iron hand and mailed fist, if our desire 
is resisted. The United States is a nation anxious for 
peace at any price. She is a woman's country, and 
women love peace." 

Mr. Kayahara is no doubt a famous writer in Japan, 
but it must be remembered that he is the yellowest of 
yellow journalists in Japan, and not so popular either — 
witness his failure to be elected a M. P. in the last elec- 
tion. It is absurd, therefore, to quote his opinion as 
expressing the public opinion in Japan. Not only that, 
Mr. Rea deliberately or inadvertently omits the follow- 
ing: 

"Our national policy should be a southward one, but 
by South is not meant tiny islands of the South Seas. 
Canada is too far for Japan. South Africa may be given 
to the Boers, who ought to throw off the British yoke. 
In short, Japan's sphere of extension lies beyond the 
equator, in Australia, New Zealand, and Tasmania. 
They are sufficient for a new Japanese Empire, and offer 
an easy solution of Japan's over-population and hard- 
ship of living. ... It was Lord Beaconsfield who 
said that in Asia, Britain and Russia have much room 
for extension, but I_say that in the British Empire can 
A we find room for further expansion. ... It cer- 
tainly is not God's will that Australia remain a virgin 
land at the expense of national suicide of the Japanese." 

Even Mr. Kayahara has no intention of challenging 
the Monroe Doctrine ! 

16. Mr. Rea says, "There is the constant reference 
in the Japanese press to the possible interference of their 
Government in behalf of Mexico in the event of Ameri- 
can intervention." 



(19) 



How did he come to know this fact? He mentions 
only one reference by the Hochi, but he fails to mention 
when it was published, much to our embarrassment since 
we cannot verify it. We can hardly believe it to be true 
in consideration of the Hochi 's standing and the sense- 
less wording of the article quoted, such as, 

"As for Japan, unless we have four more battleships 
of the dreadnaught type, in addition to what we already 
have, we may not be able to interfere. We regret that 
we shall merely have to watch the unfettered actions of 
the United States." 

However, this we can say positively : There is in 
Japan a journalist who was once in Shanghai and is now 
residing in Tokio. He has constantly been furnishing 
alleged translation to the countries outside Japan, and 
was severely condemned by Mr. J. McD. Gardiner, Presi- 
dent of the American Peace Society in Japan, as fol- 
lows: 

"To be practical there are two things that we must 
do, and not rest on our oars, satisfied with what we have 
done. First, we must apply ourselves to problems that 
now confront us. We have still to be even more vigilant 
to see that we are not misunderstood here and that our 
fellow countrymen at home do not misjudge Japan. And 
in this connection we cannot too severely condemn and 
deprecate the continual activity of one of our fellow 
countrymen, residing here, in furnishing misinformation 
to the papers in America, as he recently did, in pre- 
tending to give them an accurate translation of an un- 
important Japanese book, with a high sounding title, 
purporting to have the approval of the leading men in 
the government circles of Japan." 

Of course I cannot say that this is equally true in the 
case of the Hochi article. At any rate Shanghai seems 
to produce peculiar personages known as international 
mischief-makers. 

17. Mr. Rea says to the effect that in the rich, fer- 
tile, undeveloped and weak republics to the South of 
the United States lies the Eldorado of the Japanese 
dreams. 



(20) 



Despite the fact that there is no anti-Japanese senti- 
ment in the republics to the South of the United States 
and the private Japanese concerns have been encour- 
aging the emigration, the Japanese seem not to care to 
go over there, as is clearly shown in the following 
figures : 

Mexico 2,381 

Peru 5,482 

Chili 305 

Brazil 15,462 

Argentine 683 

24,313 

In more than ten years only 24,313 emigrated into 
these republics. Does that look like the Eldorado of the 
Japanese dreams? 

18. Mr. Rea says, "This is straight and to the point. 
The Monroe Doctrine is an impossibility" — in comment- 
ing on Count Okuma's remark in the Shin Nippon, 
which is as follows : 

"The United States early in the nineteenth century 
declared the Monroe Doctrine, thereby preventing the 
European Powers from invading America and at they 
same time undertaking not to meddle in affairs outside J\ 
of the American continent. But she could not continue 
in that policy long. Her economic development necessi- 
tated that she should seek outlets for her products 
abroad, and a field for the investment of her surplus 
capital. Today, the Monroe Doctrine is in fact an im- 
possibility." 

In the world progress of to-day no country can with- 
out seriously hurting the feeling of neighbors ignore 
mutual sympathy. Interests are too complex to do so. 
Should Mr. Rea admit that the Monroe Doctrine is an 
impossibility — that is to say it must be somewhat modi- 
fied, — to my way of thinking he should come out strongly 
for a reciprocal attitude in any international question, 
instead of crying loudly "Exclusion policy" and the "Jap- 
anese menace." 



(21) 



19. In quoting a passage from Mr. Ryuji Naga- 
shima's speech, "If Japan desires to solve the questions 
with America fundamentally, the only way would be 
to resort to war, which both nations dislike." Mr. Rea 
seems to be trying to impress the minds of readers with 
the fact that Japan has only one alternative — recede 
completely or fight. 

Mr. Nagashima belongs to the opposition party, and 
not only bitterly opposed to the present Ministry but 
he is so sensational a man as to have recently startled 
the Japanese with his pro-German talk. To my mind, 
Mr. Nagashima seems to have maliciously rapped the 
Okuma Cabinet, taking advantage of the wording of 
"fundamental questions" used by Baron Kato in his 
instructions to Viscount Chinda, and utterly disregarding 
the circumstances which should decide what it means. 
The instructions were given with regard to discrimina- 
tory treatment, so it is but natural to interpret the words 
as finding a means of removing discrimination. Why 
should anyone with common sense overestimate such 
utterances ? Furthermore, the fact that even Mr. Naga- 
shima, sensation-loving man, thinks that "both nations 
dislike war" must be ample proof that the Japanese do 
not want war with the United States. 

20. Mr. Rea says, "The Japan Year Book for 1914 
(an official publication) makes the following astounding 
statement on page 485, in the chapter devoted to 'the 
army and navy' and under the caption of 'Object of 
Expansion and Imaginary Enemy' : 'The object of 
expansion of national armament is primarily to guard 
our interest in Manchuria and China, and next to be 
prepared against a possible emergency with U. S. A.' " 

"The Japan Year Book" is not an official book. It 
is entirely a private affair of Prof. Takenob, of Waseda 
University, who since 1905 has been publishing the book 
annually practically by his own unaided effort. It is 
true that the book contains such a passage. But remem- 
ber it was written at the time when the California anti- 



(22) 



alien land law was being hotly discussed, and not inserted 
in any other issue, though the book still mentions Russia 
as an imaginary enemy. Here again Mr. Rea shows 
his hand very clearly : suppose that Japan controlled all 
publications to conceal her aims, as he says she does, 
why is it that the so-called official book written in Eng- 
lish for the purpose of acquainting the world with her 
aims and progress was allowed to insert a war note? 
Why is the mention of "an imaginary enemy" so 
astounding? It is only the expression of a standard — 
every country has an imaginary enemy. When the 
Americans mention Japan's naval strength as the stand- 
ard of the American Navy — as is now almost an every 
day affair — Japan is her imaginary enemy. In mimic 
war friends regard each other as enemies. "Imaginary 
enemy" never implies enmity or hatred. 

21. In commenting on the book entitled, "The Next 
War," Mr. Rea says, "No comment is necessary on the 
above. This is the utterance of an official of the Jap- 
anese Navy, and the book was passed by the censors and 
permitted circulation." 

As shown by articles in the New York Sun of Janu- 
ary 9 and February 27, 1916 — under the heading of 
"Japan's Disastrous War with the United States," and 
"Why Japanese Foresee War With the United States .... 
Warns against American Imperialism" — it is a plea for 
preparedness. But the arguments put forth in the book 
are largely, if not entirely, based on facts. Go over the 
whole story and answer the questions raised by an 
anonymous writer. Is this not the duty of Mr. Rea who 
claims to stand for the ethics of journalism? 

Not only that, Mr. Rea in quoting an extract from 
the Far East omits a passage to the effect that "the cen- 
sor's reason for holding it for revision is that the book 
may incite ill-feeling toward the United States, for it is 
a story of an American- Japanese War." 

22. Mr. Rea says "the reluctance of the Japanese 
authorities to admit the existence of this commission 






(23) 

(meaning Japan's National Defence Board) is therefore 
natural." 

While on the one hand accusing the Japanese author- 
ities of denying the existence of the commission, on 
the other hand his quotations show that he got all his 
information concerning the existence of the Commission 
through authoritative sources such as the Japan Finan- 
cial and Economical Monthly, the Japan Mail, the Japan 
Magazine and the Japan Year Book, all of which are 
written in English and published, semi-ofhcially or pri- 
vately, to acquaint foreigners with conditions in Japan. 
We cannot understand what he is talking about. Does 
any one else? 

It is true that we denied the existence of the Kokumin 
Gunji Kyokai — properly translated, means the National 
Military Association — which was translated as "National 
Defence Association" and published as the author of a 
book entitled, "A Dream Story of War Between Amer- 
ica and Japan" by the Hearst papers. We can only 
repeat that there exists no such organization. Of course 
there is a Board or Council which is called "Boomu Kaigi" 
in the original. W r hy should it be necessary, however, 
when denying one fact, to state another fact? It may 
be the logic of Mr. Rea, as is fully proved by the incon- 
sistencies and contradictions abundant in his own state- 
ments, but certainly it is not the logic of anyone else. 

For the sake of enlightening the American public, we 
will say this : before Mr. Rea's accusation was made in 
the New York Tribune, I, one of the accused, made a 
reference to the existence of the Board in my letter to 
the New York Evening Post. Furthermore, the so-called 
Bernhardi book was published on July 15th, 1913 and 
the "Boomu Kaigi" was established on June 23, 1914. 
So the book was published nearly one year earlier than 
the "Boomi Kaigi" was established. What connection 
is there, then, between the "Boomu Kaigi" of reality and 
the imaginary Association, the Kokumin Gunji Kyokai, 
'which is used as the authors of the book? I 



(24) 

am not trained in the trick of writing, as Mr. Rea is, 
and I do not know how to arrange the facts so insinuat- 
ingly as to confuse the minds of readers. I have simply 
stated the truth, and nothing more. By the way I might 
say this; the so-called Bernhardi book is not so impor- 
tant a publication as to have any serious bearing on 
international relations: find an American who thor- 
oughly understands Japanese and let him translate the 
book into English, then Mr. Rea will find nothing so 
offensive to American decency. And no one but Mr. Rea 
disputed the existence of the "Boomu Kaigi," as he 

states 

23 Mr. Rea says to the effect that the Japan's 
National Defence Board was specially created against 
the United States, because the "current matters" quoted 
by Rear Admiral Suzuki are none but the pending ques- 
tions between the United States and Japan. 

Japan has at heart the peace and welfare of the Far 
East and has to look upon as an enemy any political 
factor that might creep into Far Eastern affairs, both 
from within and without. China has always been in a 
precarious position, and it is scarcely an exaggeration 
to say that matters would have reached a climax, had 
not the present European War broken out at the time. 
Japan does not want China to fall a prey to western 
countries. Japan has, therefore, taken into considera- 
tion not only the United States but also Russia and Ger- 
many, etc. In fact, under the veil of foreign loans, pow- 
\ ers were constantly threatening the independence of 
I China, so much so that President Wilson forced the 
' withdrawal of American bankers from the much-dis- 
cussed Sextuple loan. The political situation at home 
made necessary the creation of such a Board, because the 
carrying out of Japan's military and naval plans had 
always proved to the embarrassment of the Ministries 
since 1912. These were all current matters. How can 
Mr. Rea say, with any regard for truth, that there were 
nothing but the pending questions between the United 
States and Japan. 



(25) 

It may be that when Rear Admiral Suzuki made the 
statement he had the United States particularly in mind. 
But even so, on which side lies the responsibility? Is 
Japan not justified for doing so, in consideration of the 
past American policy in the Pacific ? According to news- 
paper reports, the visit of the American fleet some years 
ago was underaken to frighten Japan ; the United States 
has a naval strength twice as large as that of Japan, most 
of her ships being of sea-going type ; she has chains of 
naval bases in the Pacific. On which side lies the 
menace ? While American peril in the Far East is some- 
thing of a reality, Japanese peril in the American con- 
tinent has not yet gone beyond imagination. 

24. Mr. Rea asks "What is the change in the policy 
of the Okuma Ministry toward the California question?" 
and he seems to be trying to impress upon readers' minds 
that it is for war. 

I admit that I am not well informed of what is what 
in the change, but the known facts show us that the 
diplomatic negotiations between the two governments 
have since then been going on; appeal after appeal has 
been presented not only to the President but also to the 
public, not to discriminate against the Japanese, mean- 
while endeavoring to better the Japanese conditions to 
meet the American requirements. 

25. Mr. Rea says to the effect that there are only two 
ways in which Japan could change her policy regarding 
the California question — recede from her position or 
fight. 

Mr. Rea seems to see nothing but two extremes. Does 
it not occur to him that there may be the termination 
of diplomatic relations, or the adoption of a retaliation \ 
I policy in the Far East, and, above all, the two govern- 
ments may come to meet half way? 

To sum up the situation from the facts quoted by Mr. 
Rea, it would seem reasonable to conclude that no serious 



(26) 

misrepresentations have been made in Japan; Japan has 
a fear of being attacked by the United States, at least 
America's China policy is somewhat apprehended by the 
Japanese politically; Japan proposes to undertake the 
mission of bringing the West and East closer together; 
Japan has a smaller Navy than that of the United States ; 
Japan wants to concentrate her immigration in Asia; 
Hokkaido, Korea, Manchuria as well as Formosa can 
afford to receive the Japanese immigrats ; Japan is try- 
ing hard to convince her people of the absurdity of insist- 
ing upon free immigration into the United States ; Japan 
is trying to convince the American public that complica- 
tion of interests renders the lack of reciprocity impos- 
sible without seriously hurting the feeling of the other, 
and therefore to meet the Japanese half way with sym- 
pathy and respect ; the Japanese seem not to care to go to 
the Republics to the South of the United States ; Japan 
has been doing all in her power to acquaint the world, 
especially the United States, with her ambitions and 
progress; but that the Japanese complaint against dis- 
criminatory treatment has in no sense diminished, and 
it is only the intelligent public that is keeping the masses 
in check. 

A few words more, however, to Mr. Rea, who claims 
to stand for the ethics of journalism. Is it his ethics 
as a journalist that while talking loudly about the agita- 
tion in Japan he has not said a word about removing 
the causes of irritation? Does he, with a clear con- 
science, deny the fact that all the reckless utterances in 
Japan are mostly due to the discriminatory treatment? 
Can he deny the fact that the Japanese have been avail- 
ing themselves of every opportunity to arouse the sane 
and sound public opinion in this country? Hardly a 
day passes without the American press making some 
reference to war between the two countries. Does he 



(27) 

admit that the United States is, therefore, hostile to 
Japan? According to his logic it must be so. 

I am a guest in this country and fully understand that 
I should avoid squabbling as much as possible. But 
my patience is now broken as far as Mr. Rea is con- 
cerned, since I am inclined to doubt his sincerity. And 
I challenge him, who has declared in the American 
press that Japanese dare not face the facts squarely, to 
answer even* question and charge raised by me in this 
article. 



LIBRARY OF CONGRESS # 

029 974 169 2 



